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The records of prisons covering prison staff and individual prisoners might be held in a number of different places including The National Archives, prisons themselves and local archives. Prison records were not created nationally, so it is often best to start looking in local archives – this is particularly true of prison registers created after 1878.

What do I need to know before I start?

Prisoners were often moved between prisons where there was space, rather than being imprisoned near their home or where the offence was committed.

What records can I see online?

Prisons listed in census records (1841-1911)

Search census records (£) for England and Wales from 1841 to 1911 online. If you find a prison in the census, it will list the names of prisoners present at the time the census was taken.

Prison hulk registers and letter books (1802-1849)

Search by name for convicts held on prison hulks (HO 9) in England 1802-1849 on Ancestry.co.uk (£). The registers contain personal information on the prisoners and where and when they were convicted.

Prison hulks were ships moored near naval bases to house prisoners – often those awaiting transportation.

Licences of parole for female convicts (1853-1871, 1883-1887)

Search by name for licences of parole issued to female convicts (PCOM 4) on Ancestry.co.uk (£). Their contents vary but can include a variety of personal details, reports on behaviour while in prison and (from 1871) photographs.

What records can I find at The National Archives at Kew?

Prison registers and calendars of prisoners (1770-1971)

Search Discovery, our catalogue, by date or place, in HO 23, HO 24, HO 140 and PCOM 2 for registers and calendars of prisoners. These are arranged by prison or by county and individual prisoners’ names do not usually appear in our catalogue.

Date range (yyyy)

Quarterly returns of convicts in prisons and prison hulks (1802-1876)

Search our catalogue in HO 8, by name of prison or prison hulk and year, for records of prisoners held in these institutions. Search also T 38 for lists of crews and convicts on convict hulks.

Last name

Date range (yyyy):

Date range (yyyy)

From

To

Petitions for clemency (1762-1854)

Browse our catalogue in HO 17 (1819-1839) and HO 18 (1839-1854) for petitions of clemency. They are arranged in coded bundles so you will need to use the registers in HO 19 to identify the right one.

These registers are available online via Findmypast (£) – search by name and select to search series HO 19. The registers provide a reference which helps you search for the actual petition. Read section 5.2 of our criminal transportees: further research guide for further help.

Some petitions in HO 17 and HO 18 are searchable by name in our catalogue.

You can also search for petitions by date in HO 48 and HO 49 (c1762-1871).

Prisoners tried at the Old Bailey or the Central Criminal Court (1815-1849)